Systems Administrator Job Description

The given Systems Administrator Job Description gives a clear overview of the major duties, responsibilities, key skills, and requirements that form the essence of this role. No matter who you are – a recruiter or an employer looking for a suitable candidate for your organization – our sample will streamline your search. Moreover, this template may be used for career pages or job boards. Just make sure that the given sample complies with your company’s requirements. If not, tailor it to your specific needs.

Systems Administrator Duties

The core systems administrator duties are wide-ranging and vary from company to company. For the record, small organizations are usually satisfied with one jack-of-all-trades sysadmin, whereas large ones hire several specialists. Generally speaking, the duties evolve around meeting computer needs of the organization. SA is there to ensure proper working of certain company’s computers system. This may include tackling issues with software, network, and users’ PCs. Sysadmins typically install, configure, and control software and hardware, being the first point-of-contact for users who experience SA-related problems. Also, such individuals are often in charge of data backup and recovery. Since systems administrator job covers a diverse scope of tasks, they should be in the loop of the modern technology industry.

Systems Administrator Responsibilities

Since we’ve just given a scarce overview of the major systems administrator duties, this may be not enough to get the clearer picture of the role. Read the following list of the major system administrator responsibilities in order to get better insight into SA job:

Manage user accounts

Maintain system and network facilities

Administer servers

Ensure proper work of peripherals

Install and configure new software/hardware

Fix hardware and software failures

Perform morning checks on software/hardware

Respond to technical queries

Ensure system performance

Regularly update OS or application software if there are new versions

Elaborate recovery and backup policy; ensure data backup and recovery

Design and deploy networks

Maintain network communication and connectivity

Comply with the standards of using computer systems and networks

Ensure network and system security; communicate security policy to the users

Document configuration of the system

Negotiate with vendors on new hardware

Systems Administrator Requirements

Typically, a systems administrator job requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, web technology, or related areas. Any potential candidate should display a good grasp of a vast variety of OSs and programs, such as Microsoft, Linux, Oracle, etc. In order to perform debugging measures, SA should be familiar with computer coding.

Depending on the company’s requirements and the job’s complexity, some employers must have a certain certification, such as Cisco Certified Network Associate or Cisco Certified Network Professional. Depending on the technologies used within organization, a job seeker may be required to have Sun Solaris Certification or be a Microsoft Certified System Administrator.

And of course, several years of experience in systems administration is a must in any enterprise.

Systems Administrator Key Skills

Any potential candidate should bear in mind that a typical day of a sysadmin consists of the equipment maintenance and handling of the technical queries. Thus, multitasking skills are vital for the role of SA. A top-skilled sysadmin should detect the problem and come up with the efficient solution in small amount of time. That’s why only a person with problem-solving skills will be a perfect fit.

In addition, this role typically involves a lot of interaction with network users, upper management, and even vendors if the necessity of new hardware purchase occurs. That’s where strong verbal communication skills come in handy. Moreover, patience is also an integral part of a system administrator job, as they should encounter employees with different computer competencies.

Stress resistance is another required skill, as a qualified SA should remain tranquil when dealing with crisis. Plus, reliability is also one of the essential qualities which employers expect from job seekers as the latter often come across the confidential information.